Even though wagons were once considered to be a dying breed, they’re still going strong in the global automotive market. Even though they aren’t as popular as sedans and crossovers, fast Tourings by premium European brands like BMW still have a big following around the world, which doesn’t seem to fade.
Today we’re showcasing an awesome modified BMW 3-series Touring F31 converted into an M3 by a BMW enthusiast from Taiwan. The car looks absolutely fantastic with a full M-body kit, S55 Swap and a set of classy BBS LM-R custom wheels to be proudly wearing the M3 F81 Touring nameplate that BMW decided not to offer to a wider audience.
Key Facts:
- Fully recreated M-Car style and performance because F81 M3 never existed
- Full M3/M4 Wide body kit with custom touches
- S55 Engine swap with lots of performance goodies
F31 to F81 Conversion
The fact that BMW never offered an M-badged wagon in the F31 lineup didn’t stop this Touring’s owner from pursuing his vision of the ultimate performance wagon.
Determined to create what BMW wouldn’t build, he started an ambitious project and transform his F31 into a genuine M3-spec machine.
Exterior
The conversion began with extensive body modifications, incorporating components from various M sedan and coupe models. The result features a complete M transformation, including an aggressive front bumper with carbon fiber air dam and splitter, M4 Competition-spec wide front fenders, a full carbon fiber hood, and custom rear wide body fenders to match the M car’s muscular stance.
Performance
The factory motor was swapped to the original BMW S55 V6 Engine found on the M3 and M4 models to back up the look of this wagon.
To improve the performance and squeeze extra HP from the mighty M-engine, the owner installed an Eventuri performance cold air intake with carbon fiber housing. The estimated gain of this add-on is 15-20hp and 18-23ft-lb.
Akrapovich performannce exhausts with split quad exit is responsible for providing deep growl when the owner steps on the throttle.
Wheels & Suspension
The BBS LM-R with wheels with polished lips and classy red center caps are staggered with 20×9.5″ rims being upfront and wide 20×10.5” on the back car, which improves traction and makes the car look much more aggressive.
Thanks to the properly selected wheel & tire combo the car received a good-looking yet functional stance with a sport suspension setup and hydraulics to make it over the speed-bumps easier.
Interior
The interior of the BMW M3 Touring Wagon F81 is just as impressive as the exterior. The M3 Competition seats are covered in black leather with black accents which match perfectly with the carbon fiber trim around the shifter and the dash. The steering wheel has also been treated with carbon fiber and Alcantara leather.
List of Modifications
Engine & Performance
- Swapped BMW S55 3.0L Inline-6 Twin-Turbo
- Eventuri Carbon Fiber Cold Air Intake (+15-20hp, +18-23ft-lb)
- Akrapovic Performance Exhaust with Quad Exit
Wheels & Suspension
- Hydraulic Adjustable Sport Suspension System
- Wheels: BBS LM-R
- Front: 20×9.5″
- Rear: 20×10.5″
- Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Series
Exterior Modifications
- Complete M3/M4 Wide Body Conversion
- F82 M4 GTS Carbon Fiber Hood
- Carbon Fiber Front Bumper Splitter
- Carbon Fiber Rear Diffuser
- Custom Hatch Spoiler
- M4 Competition-spec Wide Front Fenders
- Custom Rear Wide Body Fenders
Interior Upgrades
- M3 Competition Seats with Black Leather
- Carbon Fiber Trim Package
- Alcantara/Carbon Fiber Steering Wheel
Conclusion
All in all, this is an extremely impressive build and one of the best BMW M3 Tourings we’ve seen so far. The owner has done an amazing job of tastefully modifying his car to make it stand out from the crowd without going over the top. We hope to see more builds like this one in the future!
Build Complexity
| Parts Category | Difficulty Rating* |
|---|---|
| Suspension Mods: | 10/10 |
| Performance Mods: | 10/10 |
| Exterior Mods: | 10/10 |
| Interior Mods: | 6/10 |
* Based on our build difficulty evaluation system ⓘ
Packing the most punch in this build is the exterior – a perfect 10/10 thanks to that jaw-dropping M3/M4 wide body transformation that turns this grocery-getter into a proper M wagon. The suspension doesn’t mess around either, maxing out at 10/10 with trick hydraulics that let this beast crouch low or clear speed bumps at will, while under the hood, the S55 swap leads the 10/10 performance tally. Inside, it’s all business with a solid 6/10 score – those M3 Competition seats and carbon bits strike just the right balance between sport and luxury.
Watch the progress and find out more about this BMW M3 conversion project by visiting the Instagram profile of the owner: @f81tw!
Stay tuned for more project reviews on Specs&Mods.com – Follow us on social media, and share this write-up if you enjoyed reading it!
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